


Between the Sun and the Moon

by i_paint_the_sky



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-16
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2017-11-25 16:23:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/640802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_paint_the_sky/pseuds/i_paint_the_sky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus finally agrees to leave town but on one condition: Caroline has to go with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my wonderful beta, Zagzagael.

We left in the middle of the night. It was my decision but I still regretted that it meant I wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye. Of course, my world had been filled with nothing but goodbyes disguised as social calls ever since the decision was made to go so maybe I wasn't missing all that much. And Mom would just have cried, which would have made everyone else cry, which would have made me cry. And I wasn't going to do that, at least not when people could see me.

“So, where to, love?”

I looked out the window, staring at the world passing us by and the miles between us and Mystic Falls grow. I suddenly remembered the moment that put this all in action – my proudest moment and my greatest regret.

_If I come with you, will you leave?_

“Caroline?”

I turned to face Klaus, who had that annoying smirk on his face. “I don't care,” I told him. “Just .. whatever. Wherever.”

“Alright then,” he replied and I didn't even have to look to know that the smirk was still there. “Paris it is.”

Paris. The City of Love. I've dreamed of Paris since I was a little girl and I don't even care if that makes me a walking cliche, it's the truth. And because of that, there is no way in _hell_ I can go there with Klaus.

“Pick somewhere else,” I told him.

Klaus looked at her, eyebrows raised. “Didn't you just say whatever, wherever?”

The annoyed sound I made didn't even begin to express what I actually felt. “Anywhere in the country. I don't actually have a passport.”

“While that is one of the saddest things I've ever heard,” he said, “it isn't exactly something we have to worry about. Do you actually think I have any ID myself?”

“No, I suppose not,” I had to admit. “But I still don't exactly feel like going abroad right now.” Or ever, I wanted to add but didn't. I knew that was a road – or ocean – I was going to have to cross eventually but I'd deal with that later. Like Scarlett O'Hara always said, tomorrow is another day. Or night. 

Or nightmare.

“Fine,” Klaus said, “if you insist. It has been some time since I was in New York last, would that suit your fancy better?”

I had to take a slow, deep breath before I could answer. “Sure, sounds great,” I lied. If he knew I was lying – and of course, he _knew_ – he didn't let on, only calling up their destination to the driver, one of the very last hybrids Klaus had.

Surprisingly, the rest of the trip passed by quickly and silently. And, I had to admit, I actually did get a little excited the first time I spotted that familiar cityscape. Or at least, I got excited until I reminded myself just who I was here with. 

I looked over at him and could tell he was about to ask where to once again. So I put on my best smile and beat him to it. “Fifth Avenue and 49th Street,” I told him. “We can start at one end and work our way to the other.”

Klaus chuckled. “Now how did I know you were going to say that.”

I rolled my eyes and turned away, imaging all the shopping I could do today and just for a moment feeling like myself. I even notice a couple of goosebumps rise along my arms as the words Saks & Company stand before me.

As I walked into the store, I remembered the first time I came here with my father. Daddy told me that it was the most magical store in the world and I still believed him then and now. Everything I'd ever dreamed of was here at my fingertips. I knew immediately where I wanted to go first and I walked there quickly, ignoring the sound of Klaus as he followed. I considered taking the elevator but instead headed towards the stairs, knowing that no one uses them which meant I could go up as fast as I wanted. The door had barely shut behind me – behind _us_ – before I was standing on the eight floor or, as I like to call it, Shoe Heaven.

Prada, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana ... they were all there and so many others. And today, unlike before, I was going to leave with at least one pair of them. Probably a lot more than one. 

Everything I saw that I like, I picked up and tried on. Some I put back but most I pass to a salesgirl who seems almost glued to my side. At first, I thought she was just trying to be helpful but after the fifth pair or so I passed to her without her saying I word, I realized she was just another poor human girl, trapped in Klaus' compulsion.

“Seriously?” I asked him after putting the shoes I'd been trying on back on the shelf.

He shrugged. “What can I say, love, this is how the smart vampire shops. And don't worry about paying for anything either. Money is fairly meaningless, when you've lived for a millennium.”

I thought about arguing but suddenly couldn't muster up the energy for it, especially not when a part of me could see his point. “Right, whatever,” I muttered, reaching for another pair, with that salesgirl still standing ready and waiting and completely oblivious. I did my best not to think that this moment might be a preview of my life to come.

By the time the day was done, I'd long lost track of how many things I'd tried on and how many bags were waiting for me in the hotel, taken there courtesy of the hybrid driver-turned-delivery-boy. I couldn't even remember exactly how many stores we'd been to. Definitely a lot. A lot more than a lot. But even I had my limits and, eventually, I found myself back in the car, Klaus still right by my side.

“Where shall we go out to dinner?” he asked. “Even if the finest cuisine in the world can't compare with a hot jugular vein, it isn't half bad. Besides, it's always been a good place to find the real meal.”

I sighed. “I'm not hungry. Please just take me to the hotel.”

He was silent for long enough that I turned to face him, trying to figure him out, always. He actually almost looked hurt but I couldn't trust that and I definitely couldn't start feeling sorry for him now. That never ends well, just ask the hybrids.

Just ask Tyler.

“Look,” I said to him finally, “it's been a long day and I'm tired and so far from home and everyone I care about. I just want to go somewhere quiet and just sit. Is that so unreasonable?”

“No, of course not,” he murmured. “As you wish.”

I caught myself gaping at him slightly, then quickly turned away. There's no way he's seen _The Princess Bride_ , is there? No ... at least, I don't think so. Whatever. I look back out the window and watch all the people going about their lives, so busy and hectic and simple. So _human_.

And then I caught sight of another sign that captured my interest, though for entirely different reasons than anything on Fifth Avenue. “Wait, stop,” I called up to the driver. He looked at Klaus in the mirror, who nodded. I opened the door and quickly stepped out. 

As Klaus shifted to join me, I turned back. “No, I'm going to that store,” I told him, pointing towards the nearby store that had quite a few Xs in its name. “And I'm going alone. I'm suddenly single with needs, after all.” I turned around and sauntered off before he could say a word or smirk or something worse that I was even going to speculate about.

I walked in looking as confident as can be, a speciality of mine, despite the fact that I've never actually been in a sex shop and really didn't know what exactly I was looking for. For just a moment, I thought about turning around and leaving but I wasn't not going to give Klaus the satisfaction of witnessing that. And so I ended up walking down the aisle of vibrators and picking out the most expensive one that didn't look too intimidating. A compulsion later and I was on my way, a discreet white bag in hand.

“All done,” I told Klaus with a smile as I got back into the car. “Let's get going, I have a few things I'd like to try on again.” I smiled again as I realized that for once he had nothing to say.

I was still feeling very pleased with myself as we entered the hotel penthouse and I quickly claimed the larger of the two bedrooms for myself, which meant the hybrid needed to move all the bags over. I watched him work and began to count. Ten, twenty, thirty ... forty-one in total. It really had been a busy day. 

As he brought in the last bag, I realized that I something that I didn't like about myself and had to change immediately. “What's your name?” I asked.

He glanced at me, only for a moment. “Thomas,” he said, before making a quick retreat. I frowned, wondering what the hell that was about but didn't have time to answer the question before I heard my cellphone buzzing about in my purse. It wasn't the first time I'd heard it today – not even close – but it is the first time I let myself find out why.

There were ten voicemails and twenty texts – from my mother, from Elena, from Stefan. The latest one though, somehow it was from Tyler - somehow he had found out what was going on - and I almost, _almost_ want to read it. But instead I took a deep breath and squeezed the phone as hard as I could, until it falls in pieces on the floor.

I looked at those pieces and I looked at the bags and I looked at this room, the most luxurious place I have ever been, and I felt emptier than I ever have before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be trying something a bit different with this fic as far as canon goes, as I try to keep it in line with the current episodes as they air, unless something happens to make it impossible. As a result, I may be changing chapters slightly after posting them (I have already made one small change to the last chapter, in reference to Tyler).
> 
> I know that eventually I will have to break away from canon entirely (certainly I expect this to happen once "The Originals" airs, if not sooner) but we'll see how long it can last.
> 
> Because of this, the fic now contains some spoilers for episodes up to "Down the Rabbit Hole," though the only references are small ones.

Klaus stood by the window, watching the lights of the city that really did never sleep. New York was his favourite place on this continent, or at least it had been since New Orleans lost that honour so many years ago. He'd been in this city hundreds of times but he'd never quite experienced it like he did today. He smiled at the memory, though the smile faded as he thought more about this situation and just how he was going to handle it.

Thomas walked into the room. Klaus turned towards him and asked, “How is she?”

“She asked what my name was.”

That was hardly an answer but Klaus didn't push it further – while he hated to admit it, he needed to avoid antagonizing the handful of hybrids he had left. “That's fine. You're allowed to speak to her when necessary. Just don't make too much of a habit of it.”

Thomas nodded. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, you can go. Be back by 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.”

The hybrid slipped out of the room as quickly and quietly as he had entered and after he was gone Klaus gave the man no more thought. No, right now all he could think about was Caroline. He turned away from the window and headed towards her bedroom door. He reached for the handle then paused, listening carefully. 

It was very quiet on the other side – too quiet. She knew he was there. Klaus' hand tightened around the handle for a moment, then relaxed. He forced himself to turn and walk away; backing down, which was never something that came easily.

There was a small sitting area between the two bedrooms and he headed to the closest chair, sitting there while still keeping one eye on Caroline's door. He sighed softly and let himself remember.

_If I come with you, will you leave?_

Klaus had taken his time thinking about the offer but it wasn’t his answer that caused the delay. He’d known he would go with her almost as soon as the words left Caroline’s mouth. No, what troubled him and caused him to delay was a question of his own: _why?_

He’d eventually had to put the question aside, knowing from the glint in Caroline’s eyes that she wasn’t in a particularly patient mood. But he’d come back to it again and again ever since he’d agreed and he was not even remotely closer to having an answer.

There was the obvious conclusion, that she did it to save her friends. And while this was no doubt true, Klaus couldn’t help but feel that there was something more. Of course, he couldn’t entirely deny that this might just be wishful thinking on his part but he doubted it. There were too many little moments that backed him up – the glances she stole his way, the turn of her head when she realized he was watching, the flash of her throat as she swallowed hard …

The door opened. Klaus looked up, just in time to see Caroline saunter in, dressed to the nines in her newest acquisitions.

“You look ravishing,” he told her with a smile as she walked towards him. She didn’t respond but she didn’t leave either, instead sitting down on the chair the furthest from him.

“Where’s Thomas?” she asked.

“Gone,” he told her. “It’s just the two of us tonight, love.”

She scoffed and looked away, a response he excessively familiar with. But she turned back fast enough and frowned, her eyes narrowing.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Klaus replied, “though that doesn't mean I'll give you an answer.”

Her scowl made him laugh but after a moment he raised a hand and gestured for her to continue.

“Fine,” she said after a moment. She paused again, almost as if the girl who had a comeback for everything was actually searching for the words to say. “Why did really you save me, the first time you gave me your blood? After all, you’re the one who made Tyler bite me in the first place.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I told you the reason already, love. I wasn’t going to let you die on your birthday.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Klaus leaned forward, tapping a finger against his knee in thought. “And why is that?”

Caroline leaned forward as well, giving him quite the lovely view as she did. “Because I think you still would have done it even if it had been a day after my birthday, or a week, or a month.”

He straightened up and shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. “

“That’s not an answer.”

“And didn’t I say that you might not get one.”

Caroline stood up with a sound of disgust and he completely expected her to storm off to her room, slamming the door hard enough to rip the hinges out of the wall, something he’d seen Rebekah do repeatedly over the centuries. But instead she walked over to stand by the window, in exactly the same spot that he’d stood before. She reached out and pressed her hand against the glass. Klaus watched her shoulders rise and fall several times before she turned back around, her mask of composure back on. 

“Whatever, don’t answer. It doesn’t matter anyway-“

“Of course it matters,” Klaus said, standing up himself. “But you’re not asking the right question.”

“And what’s the right question?”

He took a small step towards her, then another. “Why did I order Tyler to bite you? Did I do it for a purpose or, as Damon would so eloquently put it, did I do it to be a dick?”

“What does Damon have to do with anything?” she asked, grimacing at his name.

Klaus chuckled. “I talked you with him once, it was very enlightening.”

“You talked to _Damon_ about me? What did he – no, that I _really_ don’t want to know.” She pushed off against the window and turned. Now she was facing the door.

“While we’re being so inquisitive,” he asked, before she could take a step and flee, “I have a question for you. Why did you really offer to leave with me?”

She turned her head to look at him, the rest of her body still pointing towards her escape route. “To get you out of Mystic Falls and away from my friends.”

“And is that the only reason?” he asked, slowly inching towards her again.

“ _Yes._ ”

He took another step, close enough that he could reach out and touch her now, though he didn't. “I don't believe you. I think part of you wanted to leave and realized the best way was to play the martyr. And I think part of you wanted to be here, with me.”

“That's ridiculous,” she said, her voice quavering just the tiniest amount. “You're ridiculous and this conversation's ridiculous and I don't even know why I'm still having it.” Before he could say another word, she was halfway across the room, opening the door and closing it tight and locked behind her.

Klaus stood by the window again for a long time, before casting a glance across the room. Even by his standards, this hotel was quite luxurious, the perfect place for an Original, the perfect place for Caroline. But right now, it was just an empty room and he could not help but feel that emptiness seep under his skin, reminding him too much of all those years he had spent alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for how long it has been between updates. RL hit me hard recently and I haven't really been writing anything for the last two months or so. Plus, this chapter was really fighting me for a long time. But I'm really pleased with how it turned out and will hopefully get back to posting at least one chapter a month.
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience!
> 
> Also, we've officially hit full-on AU territory now. All canon up to the episode "Down the Rabbit Hole" will be included for this fic, after which point it diverges.

It had been five days since I had my “talk” with Klaus and five days since I retreated to the bedroom, slamming the door that hasn't been opened since. Five long days without speaking to anyone, without seeing anyone.

Without eating.

Of course, as much as I'd like to blame it all on Klaus – everything was easier when I did that – I knew this at least wasn't his fault. Or at very least, it was more mine. He had offered several times to show me the sights of the city that didn't involve shopping, shopping, and more shopping but I turned him down each time, retreating to the prison of my own making. And then, just to annoy him a bit more, I would go and turn on my vibrator, its hum filling the room. I wasn't actually using it – even if I had figured out the proper technique, I was hardly in the mood – but he didn't need to know that.

Outside my door, I've heard Thomas come and go, bringing news and blood bags. None of the news has really interested me but the blood, smelling it is beginning to drive me crazy. If I just came out, I could have some. But my own stubbornness and pride won't let me. As for Klaus, well ... 

_“If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all.”_

I've heard that line before, somewhere, but I wasn't able to place it. It didn't matter anyway. Eventually I was going to have to give in but for right now, I just – I just ...

I missed my mother.

I heard voices outside again but this time someone different was talking to Klaus, someone I didn't know. I tried to focus on the sound because I needed to think about _something_.

“Bring it in here,” Klaus said.

I heard the soft rolling of wheels and I smelled a new scent to make my stomach grumble – strawberries. I just barely choked down a laugh as I realized that he's ordered room service.

“Is that everything, sir?”

There was a long pause, too long, before Klaus replied, “No. I think I could use a little company.”

I don't have to be in the room to see their eyes – Klaus' hard and focused, the attendant's dazed and confused. And I don't have to be in the room to suddenly have a terrible feeling about all of this. I unlocked and opened the door in less than a heartbeat, barely thinking at all about what I was doing.

The two of them were sitting on the couch in front of the TV, with the room service cart before them but untouched. The attendant – a boy, hardly older than me – sat on the far side, looking straight ahead, his posture perfect and uniform clean and pressed and buttoned up to his neck. I was sure none of that would last. Klaus sat in the middle, his eyes fixed on me. And beside him was an empty spot.

“Caroline, love, how good of you to join us,” Klaus called out. He patted that empty cushion. “Why don't you come sit down?”

I stood still, watching and wondering what I should do next.

“Come now, don't be scared,” he said with a grin. “I promise, only one of us bites, at least for now.”

He was goading me and I knew it. But I looked over at the attendant again and knew I didn't have a choice but to play along for now. I forced a smile on my face and walked over, making sure there was as much space as possible between Klaus' body and mine.

“That's my girl,” he murmured before reaching for a strawberry, which he held out toward me. “Hungry?”

My only answer was to look away. Keeping quiet has never exactly been my style but if I had to be here, I could at least avoid getting trapped in another conversation.

Klaus shrugged and tossed the berry into his mouth, moaning softly as he bit into it. “Delicious.” He shifted, turning to the attendant. “How about you? Eat, drink, be merry.”

The boy reached for the cart without hesitation and grabbed a handful of berries, red juice running over his hands and mouth. As he ate, Klaus poured two glasses of champagne, one of which somehow ended up in my hand. The bottle was passed over to the attendant, who guzzled from the top of it. Despite myself, I couldn't keep from wrinkling up my nose at such unrefined behaviour. I hadn't tried any of it yet but I knew that the champagne had to be expensive. Klaus wouldn't have ordered it otherwise.

Speaking – or, well, thinking – of Klaus, suddenly that distance between us disappeared as he leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Won't you at least have a drink?”

It only took a moment for me to realize he wasn't talking about the glass in my hand as the sudden scent of fresh-spilled blood reached me. I turned and looked past him, to the small stream of red spilling from two puncture wounds in the attendant's wrist. A tremor ran through my body as I stared and fought my need and yearning.

“It looks good, doesn't it?” Klaus said softly. “In fact, I might have to have a taste myself.”

He reached for the boy's wrist and wrapped his fingers around it gently, almost like a caress. He lifted it up and brought it to his mouth. I saw his tongue for a moment, lapping it up, before he bit down hard. The attendant's gasp was lost in the sound of my own.

I was shaking by the time Klaus stopped, the glass of champagne half spilt on my lap. He faced me and all I could see and smell and almost taste was the blood on his lips. He reached up and traced a finger around his mouth, smearing red on it as well. He smiled and reached out, resting that bloody tip on my lips now.

“Eat.”

I couldn't tell if I opened my mouth of if he did it for me or if it was a mix of both and I didn't care anyway. The blood on his finger tasted delicious, better than any thing I have ever eaten in my entire life, better than a hundred glasses of champagne and a thousand strawberries. 

But it was too little, far too little. After I have sucked the last drop down my throat, I grab Klaus' arm and push it away. A moment later and I was on the attendant, straddling his legs as I tore into his collar, buttons flying everywhere. As soon as his throat was bare, I ripped into it, hesitation and gentleness long gone.

I didn't drink enough to kill him but only barely. His pulse was weak when I finally manage to stop, sitting up and gasping for breath like I needed it. In a red-tinted haze, I turned to find Klaus still on the couch. Lying across his lap was an older woman, unconscious and bleeding. I gaped at her before looking up and meeting his eyes.

“The hotel manager,” he said as her blood dripped off his chin. “She came to find out what was taking our young friend there so long.”

I nodded like I understood though I didn't really, not yet. I stood up on shaky legs and notice that my new shirt has blood on it. Damn. I reached up for it, trying to wipe it away, even though I knew it wouldn't work. But I just kept trying, pulling at it hard enough that the material shredded beneath my fingers.

Klaus was standing behind me now, though I hadn't noticed him move. “Shhh,” he said as he spun me around to face him. “Don't worry about the shirt, I'll buy you a new one. I'll buy you a million new ones. Just relax.” My arms fall to my side, his hands holding onto them tight. “Now, doesn't that feel better?”

I didn't answer, only stared at a droplet of blood that was running along his mouth. It did feel better but still not good enough. I still needed more and so I took it, pressing my lips against his to taste it again, to taste him again.

His lips were hungry against mine, almost as hungry as I felt. I could just barely feel his hands as they gripped hard, fingertips digging in. It was wonderful and glorious and I had never been kissed like this before.

No, wait, I had been. The memories are elusive but I managed to grab one, to try and remember when. Oh yes, I remembered, it was after the car crashed. After Tyler saved me even though he should have been dead and a terrible, cruel world became wonderful again. Except that has always been when Tyler wasn't the same, back when he was something else. No, not something, _someone_ else.

When Tyler was Klaus.

I froze first, then somehow managed to push Klaus away, my eyes widening. Tyler. Klaus. Me. What the hell was I doing?

For the second time in a week, setting a terrible precedent for the weeks and months and years to come, I fled into my bedroom. As the door closed, I sunk down against it, barring it shut with the weight of my body. I didn't cry, I didn't scream, even though I wanted to do both. I just sat there in my torn and bloodstained shirt, praying that somehow, something would happen to make everything right, that would make my greatest sacrifice worth it because right now, all it felt like was the biggest mistake I could ever have made.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I am constantly apologizing for how long the time between updates is. But over the summer I started a new job and have moved and in all the hustle and bustle, writing fell to the wayside. However, in honour of NaNoWriMo, I am trying to get back into the swing of things this month and really hope to get chapters coming out faster.
> 
> Thank you once again for your patience, it means so much to me that people are enjoying this story :)

The couch would have to be replaced. It was this detail that Klaus' mind kept coming back to; long after Thomas had helped the two hotel employees out, properly compelled with explanations for their current states, and done what he could to clean up. But there was nothing to be done about the couch.

“I'll have another one sent tomorrow,” Thomas said as he was leaving, eyeing his silent sire with trepidation. Klaus nodded but didn't say a word and a moment later, the door closed behind the hybrid, leaving the room clean and silent and dead.

Klaus closed his eyes, remembering how Caroline looked as she tore into the boy's throat. He had glimpses of the fire within her before but it had never been allowed so much freedom and revelry. If this ill-fated trip of theirs had accomplished nothing else, it had made clear just how utterly exquisite a creature she was.

Which of course made it all the more frustrating when she continued to run from that side of herself. He'd seen it before, of course – Stefan was a shining example of self-deprivation – but he thought he could get past it with Caroline, that he could give her the right nudge and suddenly everything would go as he dreamt.

After a thousand years of being one of the most powerful beings in the world, Klaus had become used to getting his way. The only ones who had ever stood up to him were his siblings, who quickly learnt the price of betrayal. Even Mikhail, the greatest challenge of his life, had eventually fallen at Klaus' hand. Every challenge that had come his way, he had overcome. And he knew that eventually, Caroline would be won over as well.

He walked toward the door to her room and rested a hand against the wood. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since it slammed behind her. He knew she was on the other side somewhere but he couldn't hear anything beyond a soft, steady breath. He couldn't even smell her, with the heavy scent of blood still lingering throughout the room.

He turned around and leaned back against the door, staring out the window at the millions of city lights. As he stood there, he found a new resolve. Tomorrow, things would be different. All he needed to do was to change tactics. Try something new, show her a different side of the city, a different side of him.

And if his new approach didn't work, he would just try something else. It wasn't like either of them was short on time.

*

The couch had just been carried out when the bedroom door slowly opened and Caroline stepped out. She walked up to stand in front of Klaus, her eyes fierce and locked on his.

“I need to get out of this hotel.”

Klaus smiled. “Well, love, why didn't you say so before?”

“What?”

He reached over and grabbed her wrist swiftly enough that she didn't have time to pull away. His grip was firm and steady as he raised her hand up and pressed his lips against it. “Ask and ye shall receive.” A moment later he pulled her out of the room, down the stairs, and out the lobby, all in a vampiric blur.

It wasn't until they reached the sidewalk, becoming part of the crowd, that Caroline was finally able to pull away from him. He kept walking and couldn't help but feel immensely pleased with himself when she followed. She kept a number of steps behind him the entire way down the street, around the corner, until they finally reached one of his favourite parts of New York.

“Central Park,” she said softly, finally coming to stand next to him. “My parents and I came here once, back when they were still together. We had a great day.”

“Walk with me?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Do I have a choice?”

“Of course, love, you always have a choice.”

She laughed mirthlessly at that for a moment. “Fine. Let's go.”

They wandered for hours, mostly in silence and mostly without aim. Usually such quiet was not something Klaus felt comfortable with but there was something about this day that made it more than bearable. Perhaps it was the sun in the sky and the wind in his hair that made it so but more likely it was the company and the look of delight that every now and then crossed her face, before she had a chance to wipe the expression away.

There was one time she did let the smile that crossed her face remain, even after she knew he'd noticed. A carriage came toward them and Caroline's eyes locked on the horse pulled it.

“Beautiful, isn't it,” Klaus whispered, looking at both the animal and the woman.

“Yes,” she agreed as she turned to watch the carriage go past. Once it was out of the sight, she looked over at him. “Can we sit down for awhile?”

They walked up a nearby hill, sitting on the top. In the distance, Klaus saw the place he'd been guiding them in spirals around all day: the Central Park Carousel. He had been in the park when it was installed but had never gone for a ride. Today, he hoped to change that.

Silence fell once again but this time there was an energy underneath it, just below the surface. He turned and looked at Caroline, whose eyes stayed stubbornly on her lap. 

“Are you going to stop staring at me anytime this century?” she asked, finally glancing up at him.

He smiled. “I wasn't planning on it, love.”

She made a sound of frustration, her hands ruthlessly tearing into the grass. “Okay, look ... if this _arrangement_ is going to ever work, I need you to cut the games and actually be honest for a change. Do you still remember how to do that, assuming you ever did?”

The grin slowly faded from his face. “Yes,” he said slowly, after a moment had passed. “I do remember.”

“Good,” she said. “That’s something, at least.”

“And how about you?”

He could see the idea of playing dumb enter her mind and exit it almost immediately. “Sure, fine. It's not like I'm not honest with you nine times out of ten already.”

Klaus was quite sure he could list enough examples to significantly change that number, but he chose to focus on that one particular time that interested him most. “Very well. Then, as an act of good faith, would you finally answer my question?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What question?”

“Why did you really offer to leave?”

She sighed and looked down, shaking her head. “Okay ... mainly, I did it to protect those I care about, I wasn't lying about that. But some of what you said before, well, some of it was probably true too. I'm not a small town girl, not really, and I don't want a small town life.”

Klaus nodded. He'd known that from the minute he laid eyes on her. “And what about me?”

Caroline opened her mouth, then closed it. “No,” she finally said, “you don't get a second question until you finally answer mine. As an act of good faith.”

“Very well. Why did I save you on your birthday?” He slowly reached out, laying a hand on hers. He could see her body tense but she didn't pull away. “I am afraid, Caroline, that I don't have a better answer than the one I gave you that night. Birthdays have always been special to me, almost sacred.”

“And if it hadn't been my birthday?”

“Then, I'm sorry to say, you would probably be dead.”

Her hand slipped out from under his quickly, as she stood up and put a few steps between them. He got to his feet and walked in a wide arc, keeping his distance as he moved to stand in front of her.

“If it is any consolation,” he said softly, “I am very glad you're not.”

“That's nice. Really.”

Klaus gritted his teeth, trying not to point out that this was exactly why the truth was a bad idea. Even he knew to avoid a decision that bad. So instead he focused his attention elsewhere, back to the wooden horses going round and round. “Come on,” he said, “let's go for a ride.” 

He started walking slowly toward the carousel. Caroline did nothing. He was almost halfway there before she finally started to follow. She caught up just in time to get on for them to join the short line and catch the next spin. Klaus climbed on the nearest horse; she picked one close by, but not too close. 

“I suppose I should thank you for your honesty,” she said after a minute or so. “After all, I did ask for it.”

“Another reason to be careful what you wish for.”

She leaned forward to run her fingers across her horse's ear. “I wish I could hate you more,” she whispered, the sound so soft that only his supernatural hearing allowed him to catch it. “You've done so many terrible things but so have the rest of us. You've killed people, I've killed people. You've lied, I've lied ... everyone's lied. And so even though I wish it, I can't hate you because I understand you too well. I get you and I know you get me in ways that no one else does...”

Her voice trailed off as the ride slowed down and Klaus caught himself holding his breath. Before she could continue, the ride came to a halt and one of the operators was walking toward them. 

“ _Go away_ ,” he said through clenched teeth. The operator smiled and walked past them, telling everyone else on the ride that they had to get off and back into line.

Caroline remained silent as the ride started as going again, now sitting up straight, her hands wrapped tight around the pole. 

“Caroline ...” he said, his voice getting very close to a growl. To his surprise, the corners of her mouth actually turned up slightly.

“Fine,” she told him, her voice loud and clear now. “I don't just not hate you, I sometimes actually like you. So coming to New York with you might not have been quite as bad as I made it out to be.”

“That's all?”

“Yes,” she declared, her chin raised, “that's all. And you'd better appreciate even getting that much.”

“Oh, don't worry,” he assured her, “I do.”

They stayed on the carousel until the sun began to go down and a touch of coldness entered the evening air. Klaus didn't argue when Caroline suggested that they head home, even though the night was beyond young. This time as they talked as they walked, about nothing in particular and it was marvellous.

“Well, Miss Forbes,” he said as they reached the edge of the park, “thank you for a lovely day.”

Caroline sighed heavily but that small smile was back. “You're welcome.”

Klaus looked at her for a moment, and then leaned in slightly. He wasn't surprised when she turned her face away but he wasn't deterred either, pressing his lips lightly against her cheek, breathing in her scent. 

“The first of many,” he told her, making a promise to them both.


	5. Chapter 5

Thomas looked more than a little worried when I veered into the Apple store but he didn't try to stop me. Which meant that it was up to me to stop myself or go ahead and do the last thing I should be doing.

_Inbox (55)_.

A quick scan revealed that about ten of the messages were junk – though I would save that 10% off coupon for Bath & Body Works, you never know when that could come in handy – but that still left forty-five emails from friends and family. My mouse hand was shaking as I scrolled down, looking at them all. Tyler, Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, her mother, Matt ... hell, there was even one in there from Damon, of all people.

The most recent one was from Tyler, just sent an hour ago. Just seeing his name was bad enough but then I saw the subject line. _Thinking of you_.

I bit down hard on my lip as I kept staring at the screen. Things were finally beginning to settle down  
here and becoming something I could _maybe_ live with but I had a feeling once I read his words, everything would change. I really didn't have a choice though, not now that I knew the message was there.

_Hey Care,_

_It's the full moon tonight and I can't help but think of you on those nights, even now that I don't have to change. That's the only good thing about being a hybrid, but I would give it up in a second if it meant you could be free._

_At this point, I don't expect to get an answer but I hope one day you read this and know that, even though you're not here with me, you're always in my heart._

_Love,  
Tyler_

I managed to hold back the tears, but only barely and only because I refused to be the girl crying in the middle of a crowded store. I couldn't read any of the others though, not without losing it, and I know I'd never find the words to respond to that, at least not before my escort ran out of patience. I looked up and spotted him still standing near the front of the store, avoiding the attention of the so-called genius nearby. I had another idea and he was just far enough away that it might work.

I signed out of my email account and instead head over to Facebook, while also turning on the computer's webcam. A few clicks later and there's a new picture of me, standing in the Apple store, a smile on my face. Those who know me well would probably notice right away that my eyes were too shiny but that might not be such a bad thing after all. Happy and sad. It was pretty much a perfect representation of my life here.

I didn't dare do any more and so I wiped my eyes, signed out of all my accounts and walked away, the whisper of Tyler's words still in my head. I stormed past Thomas without stopping and he had to jog after me.

It took a while for him to catch up and by the time he did, I had managed to pull myself back together well enough. 

“First you won't leave, now you can't get away fast enough?” he asked.

I shrugged, trying to act and feel casual. “I changed my mind.”

“Right,” he said, “that womanly prerogative of yours.”

I spun around on my heels. “What exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?”

He stared at me for a moment, then he actually smiled, the first time I'd seen him do that. “Klaus talks about you. A lot.”

I sighed and started walking again. “Of course he does.”

Thomas followed, of course. “Where are you going now?”

“I ... haven't decided yet.” I met his eyes for a moment, then we both laughed. “Any suggestions?”

“Plenty, depending on what you're looking for,” he said. “I used to live here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It's been awhile though.” He fell silent, frowning.

I realized how little I knew about him. Apparently the shock of not knowing his name hadn't had a big effect on me after all. “So,” I said finally, “where should we go?”

He thought about for a few moments. “Have you finally gotten tired of shopping?”

“Yes,” I lied.

“Alright then,” he said, “I know a place I think you might like.”

*

My first impression of the hole-in-the-wall pool hall Thomas brought me to was that it was, well, a hole-in-the-way pool hall that was barely better than the Grill. And, while I love the Grill, it wasn't what I was looking for in New York, especially not after the Tyler's email. But once we'd played a few games, had a few drinks, and eaten a plate of their famous nachos, it turned out to be not so bad. And seeing Thomas relaxed and having a good time, even if he was still on his protect me mission, made it easier for me to just go with the flow. He might be sired to Klaus still but away from him, Thomas was a good guy. And even though he did every now and then remind me of Tyler, at last I was remembering the good times more than the bad.

We'd been there for a few hours when I noticed my escort was off in a corner, a ring of strangers around him. I could almost feel my good mood slip away as I listened in.

“...don't want to do this.”

“You have to,” Thomas said. “It's hard enough to fight the bond already, just knowing what you plan. If I actually see you do it ...”

The door was about fifty feet away. Unfortunately, it was only thirty feet for them and suddenly they were all staring at me with hate in their eyes. I doubted I could make it before them, not today at any rate, but I had to try.

I bolted as fast I could. I saw them do the same, all but one who stayed behind to pour a bottle into Thomas' mouth. I focused my attention reaching the door but it was already too late. Hands clamped around my arms and this time the bottle was pressed against my lips. The vervain burned down my throat and the world turned to darkness.

*

“This has got to stop happening to me,” I muttered as consciousness slowly returned. Ropes were wrapped around my wrists and ankles, laced with even more vervain. My nerves were tingling, muscles aching, and my throat raw. The only good thing was that it was dark, which meant I wasn't blinded by brightness as well.

There was another moan but this time I wasn't the source. I turned toward the sound and saw Thomas on the other side of a wall of iron bars. He was chained instead of tied and looking at him, I realized that we were in a place like the old Lockwood cellar, a refuge for werewolves to turn. Except not tonight, apparently, unless they were planning to rip me to shreds. Unfortunately, it was entirely possible that this was the plan.

Thomas moaned again and his eyes opened. He cried out and yanked at the chains. He fought for several moments, to no effect. Finally he stopped with a shudder and looked over at me. “I'm sorry, Caroline.”

I glared at him. “For what part?”

“For getting you involved in this fight,” he said. “It wasn't my idea.”

“Oh, well then, that makes it all better,” I snapped, trying to pull on the rope again.

He fell silent, shaking his head. “There's a bond between a wolf and his pack that can't be understood by any outsiders, especially not vampires. You attack one of us, you attack all of us.”

I could already tell where this was going but couldn't help but point out the obvious. “I didn't do anything to you.”

“But Klaus did. We can't do anything to him, he's too powerful. So instead, they decided to go after his weakness: you.”

I sighed. “So I'm what ... collateral damage?”

“Something like that.”

“Well then, guess what? You guys just became _exactly_ like him.”

Thomas stared at me for a moment, and then turned away. I felt a moment of righteousness but it didn't last – how could it, given where I was at the moment? I shifted around, trying to find a more comfortable position, only to gasp in pain as I knocked my right elbow against the bars. “What the hell?” I muttered, looking down at my arm. My heart stopped at the sight of an open, festering wound. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“What is it?” Thomas asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

“As if you don't -” I began, but then I looked at him and realized that he didn't know. “One of them bit me.”

His eyes went wide. “Are you sure?”

“It's not my first time, so yeah, I'm sure.”

“Shit.” He slammed a fist into the ground, jerking the chain. “They said they just wanted to keep you down here until Klaus agreed to release me. They never said anything about this, or I wouldn't have, couldn't have, gone along with it.”

“Because of the sire bond,” I said softly, as an idea began to take shape.

“Not just because of that, but yes.”

I looked down at the ropes that bound my wrists. They weren't that thick and I would have been able to break them, if it wasn't for the vervain. However, the two of us together might be able to do it.

I crawled over to the bars between us, leaning against the cool metal. “Thomas,” I said softly, “do you remember what Klaus asked you to do?”

He nodded. “He said to make sure you stay safe.”

“And do you think he'd consider this doing a good job?”

Thomas looked at me carefully, trying to figure out what I was doing. “No, of course not.”

I took a deep breath and put on my best Damon impression – desperate times, _very_ desperate measures. “Don't you think that it would make Klaus happy if you got me out of here?” His fists clenched, so I kept going. “Wouldn't he just be so pleased if I didn't die a slow and painful death, which is what we both know is going to happen if you do nothing.”

Thomas snarled and yanked on his chains viciously, while I actually gave silent thanks for sire bonds for the first and hopefully only time. The bolts on the chains were strong, made to hold a transformed werewolf, but under the relentless assault of a desperate hybrid on a mission, they soon began to give. It wouldn't be too long until he was at least free enough to reach me, which was good because I was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. I let my eyes close and my body slump against the bars, as I realized just how many hours must have passed since I was bitten.

“Caroline.”

My lids were heavy but eventually they opened and I found Thomas in front of me. I straightened as I realized that he was actually in my cell now. Looking past him, I saw the door had been ripped off. I tried not to think about the fact that I hadn't even noticed.

I raised my wrists. “Help, please,” I asked, my voice sounding at least ten years younger than I am.

He reached out but pulled his hands back as the vervain burned his fingers. 

“ _Please_.”

He gritted his teeth – no, not teeth, fangs – together and grabbed the ropes. He pulled one way and I pulled the other. The pain was terrible, even worse than the bite, but I had to bear it. And then, with a snap, it was gone. I had no time to enjoy it though, as we both started to work on the bindings on my ankle. I wanted to stop when it felt as though my fingers were almost burned through but I couldn't, knowing it must be so much worse for him. Finally there was another snap and the ropes fell away.

“Can you stand?”

“Give me a moment,” I told him, as I felt some strength returning now that the vervain was gone. It wasn't much but it was enough to get me back on my feet, albeit slowly. The world seemed to sharpen once I was standing though, which let me focus on the next step: getting out.

Thomas laid one hand on her shoulder. “There's a door over there,” he said, pointing to the far corner, “that comes out at the back of the building.”

I nodded. “Let's get going.”

Neither of us was strong enough to go full speed but we still went as fast as possible, not stopping until we were in the alleyway, the building looming behind us.

“Which way now?” I asked.

Thomas didn't reply right away and the look on his face was about as far from comforting as it could get. “I can't go with you, Caroline,” he said after a moment. “Please don't try and make me because we both know that the minute Klaus finds me, I'm dead. The only thing I can do now is run.” 

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but before I had a chance, he was gone and I was alone, somewhere in New York City, dying of yet another werewolf bite, with no way of telling Klaus where I was.


	6. Chapter 6

Most would not consider patience to be among Niklaus Mikaelson’s virtues – assuming they felt he had any virtues at all. But to say he had none would not be accurate. He could be very patient, when it suited him. For the sake of a well-crafted plan, he was more than willing to wait centuries.

When it came to Caroline returning to the hotel, however, a fifteen minute delay was enough make his patience begin to dwindle. Half an hour after she and the hybrid were meant to return, with not a single word from either of them, it was entirely gone.

He pulled out his phone again, just to be sure he hadn't missed a message. Nothing, of course. He was about to put the damned machine away when it occurred to him that just because he hadn't been contacted didn't mean that no one else had. And, since he'd gone to the trouble of compelling himself a data plan, he might as well use it.

Ah, there was something new. Several hours ago, Caroline had updated her Facebook picture. She appeared to be in a bright, white store. With computer access.

It only took him a few moments before he was standing in the nearest Apple store. With a starting point determined, he turned to the next available resource. Awakening his werewolf side had affected his sense of smell much in the same way becoming a vampire had heightened his hearing. But in a city of eight million, neither were going to be as effective as usual. Still, at least it was something. 

There were too many trails of Chanel No 5 to track Caroline but nothing smelled quite like a hybrid and there was only one other of them. For a moment, twelve faces stared at him, covered in blood. He promised them that, if it proved necessary, Thomas would join them, last hybrid or not.

His pace as he moved through the crowds was swift for a human, which meant it was agonizingly slow for him. But if he went too fast, he might miss something important, something that made the difference between finding her and ...

No, he would not let that happen. Not now, not ever.

Humans were typically blind to the supernatural world around them but today they must have noticed something in his eyes, something terrible enough to cause the crowd of busy, bustling New Yorkers to part before him. Which meant they got to keep their heads, at least for now.

He made his way along the twists of city streets, allowing him time to review the most gruesome acts he had seen in his many years and think of ways he could now improve upon them. Finally, the trail took a final turn and Klaus found himself in some squalid little bar filled with werewolf reek.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

While most of the bar's customers looked his way, none of them answered. And so he grabbed the throat of the nearest man and lifted him up off the ground, enjoying the panic and struggle even in his rage. “I said _where is she_?”

People began to scream then, but one voice stood apart. “Leave him alone.”

Klaus dropped the man and turned to face the werewolf bitch that stood in the corner. “Then maybe you can answer my question, little wolf. Tell me where Caroline is and I promise that when I kill you, it will be quick.”

He saw her eyes widen in fear but she stood her ground. Another place and time and he might have found that admirable, if still foolish. He rushed toward her and in an instant, his hand was inside her chest, fingertips caressing her beating heart as she cried out in pain. “Answer me!”

“Gone,” the wolf managed to gasp, blood trickling down the side of her mouth. “She got away ... ran off down the alley in the back. Haven't ... haven't found her yet.”

With an effortless twist, Klaus pulled out her heart, letting it and her body fall. He was outside the building before she hit the ground. The stench of wolf was stronger now but he could smell Thomas again, going to the right. To the left, he caught a hint of Chanel that was almost hidden beneath the sickening scent that added a helping of fear to his wrath.

He ran as fast as he could behind her, the smell of rot and disease getting stronger with every meter. He tried not to count how long it might have been since she had been bitten, to keep himself from envisioning a corpse at the end of this chase.

He turned another corner and then there she was, drenched with sweat and leaning against a wall. Alive. When he approached, she spun around, her eyes wide and wild. “No!” she cried out, cringing away. “Leave me alone, haven't you done enough?”

Klaus froze, ten new emotions suddenly added to the mix. She tried to step away from him but only managed to stumble, falling to her knees.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, reaching down to claw at the ground. “Daddy, I didn't ever want you to hate me, I'm sorry.”

Hallucinations. Of course. She wasn't seeing him but she had to, if she wanted to live.

“Caroline,” he called, taking a step forwards.

“Tyler,” she cried out with a whimper. “No, no.”

He reached out and grabbed her arms, willing himself to not react to that. “Caroline, it's me.”

Her head fell forward, a tangle of golden hair and grime covering her face. And then she moved slowly, too slowly, and looked at him. “Klaus ...” she whispered, her eyes widening. Fear melted away then, leaving behind an expression of wonder and relief. It was a look he had only seen once before, when he helped her escape from Alaric – a look that said that in this moment, he was saviour, not monster.

“Here, love,” he said, placing her mouth against his neck, “you need to drink.” For a moment, all he could feel was her soft lips and, if he didn't imagine it, the tip of her tongue. And then her fangs sank into his skin, lifeblood ebbing out of him to save her.

When she'd had her fill, Caroline stood up straight, her eyes clear once more. “Thank you,” she said softly, yet again bringing that day of so long ago to mind.

“You're welcome. It was the least I could do.”

She frowned at him, her lips pursed. “It wasn't your fault ... this time.”

He shook his head. “No, it was. I should have realized that my enemies would see you as a way to get to me.”

Caroline looked ready to argue about that, somehow, but instead her whole body swayed and her knees buckled. Klaus caught her before she fell, holding her tight. “I think we should call it a day, love,” he told her. 

He barely waited for her to nod before heading for the hotel as fast as he could. Once he reached it, he took the stairs up, knowing they would be far faster than waiting for an elevator – and far less questions asked too. He didn't stop moving until he stood before her bed and placed her down, drawing the blankets up around her. “Goodnight,” he whispered, though she was already asleep and did not hear.

He walked into the other room and stared out the window, where the sun was only now beginning to set; it seemed so much later than it was. As he stood there, still and silent, it became clearer to him just close Caroline had been to a cold and final death. All because he had brought her into his world and let that world know that there was something he cared about.

He'd never been sure that he would be able to win her over – she wouldn't be half as appealing if that had been certain – but he had believed he could keep her safe. But he had failed. Failed her, failed himself, perhaps even failed Thomas. He could add their names to a very long list, the one that began with Esther.

And then, suddenly and shockingly, the realization hit him of how to keep this from happening again. It would not be easy, in fact some may call it impossible. But after so many years, he knew how this world of his worked. There had to be a way to do it and then no one would ever harm Caroline again.


End file.
